Field and Stream - Hunting Moose RSS

The 35 Best Photos From Field & Stream's 2012 Spring Trail Cam Contest: Round II

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:15:02 -0400

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95).

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, began, March 12, and closed on April 12. Round II ran from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 14 to June 14. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

Congrats to users luna, mod70 and Semibald, who each have won a Trophy Cam for their shots in Round II.

So go set your trail cams up already. And have fun! --The Editors

Click here for more info on the prizes.

Click here to enter ROUND III of the 2012 SPRING TRAIL CAM CONTEST

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos from April 2012

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:25:49 -0400

Each month, Field & Stream editors review the hundreds of photos submitted by readers to our Trophy Room. If your photo is chosen to be printed in the Game Faces section of the magazine, you’ll win a Rapala Fish ‘N Fillet knife!

Submit your photos here!

Here are the other best reader photo collections from this year:

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

The 50 Best Photos From Field & Stream's 2012 Spring Trail Cam Contest: Round I

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:22:02 -0400

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95).

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, starts today, March 12, and closes on April 12. Round II runs from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 12 to June 12. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

Congratulations to users Kim Doucette Kelly, Isham C. Shelby and Stephen Schimacher who each will receive a camera for their entries in Round!

So go set your trail cams up already. And have fun! --The Editors

Click here for more info on the prizes.

Click here to enter ROUND II of the 2012 SPRING TRAIL CAM CONTEST

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos from March 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:00:43 -0400

Submit your photos here!

Here are the other best reader photo collections from this year:

January 2012

February 2012

Enter The 2012 Spring Trail Cam Photo Contest to Win a $323 Camera from Bushnell!

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:59:09 -0400

The 2012 Spring Trail Cam Photo Contest

Who says trail cams are only fun in the fall? Set yours out this spring, then send us your best photos. You could win a new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD (MSRP $323.95)!

Here's how it works. This contest will have three rounds. The first, Round I, started March 12, and closes on April 12. Round II runs from April 12 to May 12, and Round III from May 12 to June 12. We're giving away three Bushnell Trophy Cam HDs (MSRP: $323.95) in each round, one cam each to the top three entries, as chosen by our editors.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER YOUR PHOTO IN ROUND I!

Meanwhile, click through this gallery of the best photos from last year's Spring contest.

The 45 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of February 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:46:15 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here is the gallery of the best reader photos from January 2012.

Minnesota Moose Numbers Drop, Officials Consider Scrapping the Season

Sarah Smith — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:59:19 -0500

--Chad Love

Minnesota's moose are in trouble. Numbers have declined by 50 percent in just the past six years, and now officials are considering scrapping this year's hunting season.

From this story on twincities.com:

Minnesota's moose are continuing to die off, and the situation is dire enough that state officials are thinking about scrapping the fall hunting season for only the second time in 40 years. Results of this winter's aerial survey, released Thursday by the Department of Natural Resources, estimate that the moose population declined by 670 animals, or 14 percent, in the past year in the northeastern part of the state.

Last year, the DNR estimated there were 4,900 moose; this year, 4,230. In just six years - about half the lifespan of a moose in the wild - the population has been cut in half. In 2006, there were an estimated 8,840 moose. "We're always losing some moose that are 12 to 15 years old," said Mark Lenarz, leader of the DNR's forest wildlife and populations research group. "But moose are dying at 5 to 7 years of age. They're in their prime, and they shouldn't be dying." Hunters kill a fraction of the moose that die every year. As do wolves. And cars.

Scientists aren't sure what's killing moose, although diseases and parasites, along with warm winters like the current one, are suspected of playing a part. When temperatures rise above 23 in January, for example, moose have to work hard to stay cool, perhaps weakening their immune systems. DNR studies have shown a correlation between warm Januarys and low moose survival. "No, this was not a good winter if you're a moose," Lenarz said...."It's both making a decision whether we will have a hunting season, and also if we have one, how many permits we should issue," Lenarz said.

A decision will come within weeks. Last year, 105 moose hunting tags were issued, less than half the previous year. Moose hunting was banned in 1922 but returned in 1971 after the population flourished. In 1997, hunting ceased in the northwestern part of the state as that population crashed. Hunting in the northeastern part of the state was suspended in 2000 but resumed the following year. Last year, hunters killed 53 moose, all males.

Thoughts?

The 50 Best Shots From The 2011 Field & Stream Fall Trail Cam Contest

Online Editors — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:03:25 -0500

Here are the editors' picks for the 50 best entries in our 2011 Fall Trail Cam Photo Contest. Congrats to KSwhitetails who took first place with his "Bobcat catches a turkey in flight" shot and will receive the grand prize: a pair of Steiner 10x42 Predator Xtreme binoculars.

Congratulations to all this year's winners and thanks to everyone for the hundreds of great submissions.

You can check out the top photos from each round of the contest here:
ROUND I
ROUND II
ROUND III
ROUND IV

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From January 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:06:52 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here are the monthly Best Reader Photo Galleries from last year:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November

The Best Shotguns of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:56:43 -0500

The Best New Rifles of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:41:18 -0500

There were more exhibitors and more atendees at this year's SHOT Show than ever before. That means more guns than one could ever see, but we did our best to find the best. Here are David E. Petzal and John Snow's picks for the best rifles from the show floor.

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day 3

Online Editors — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:48:52 -0500

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day 2

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:34:22 -0500

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day I

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:48:40 -0500

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From 2011

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:15:14 -0500

Every month readers submit hundreds of photos to our Trophy Room. They include everything from grip and grin shots of some beautiful animals and fish to remarkable nature shots taken on fishing and hunting trips. These are the web editors' picks for the best reader photos of 2011.

Our Trophy Room is always open, so Submit your photos here!

Here are the monthly Best Reader Photo Galleries of 2011:

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Field & Stream's Best Photo Galleries and Blogs of 2011

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:53:52 -0500

A lot of interesting stories came across the web desk at Field & Stream last year. These are the web editors' picks for the 25 best stories of 2011, in both photo gallery and blog form. Click through this gallery to see what you missed or take another look at a personal favorite.

For all past blogs, click here.

For all past photo galleries, click here.

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From December 2011

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:44:10 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here are the monthly Best Reader Photo Galleries of 2011:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November

First Shots Photo Collection

Online Editors — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:59:48 -0500

A collection of jaw-dropping hunting and fishing photos from Field & Stream's "First Shots" magazine section, updated with the most recent shots.

The 75 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From November 2011

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:13:59 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here are the monthly Best Reader Photo Galleries of 2011:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October

The 50 Best Photos from Round II of the 2011 F&S Fall Trail Cam Contest

Online Editors — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:51:21 -0500

Here are the editors' picks for the 50 best entries in the second round of our 2011 Fall Trail Cam Photo Contest. Congrats to Dufhuntin who took first place with is "Owl spooking a doe" shot and will receive a Bushnell Trophy Cam; and to second-place winner, Bull80, who gets a Hide 'N Hunt Blind from Hunter's Specialties.

Don't forget to vote for the readers choice winners in Round II. The top three will each win a Freeman Guide Folding Knife from Gerber. And keep entering your great trail cam photos in Round III for more chances to win. You've got until Midnight on December 8th to enter.

Game Farm Where Pete The Moose Lived Slated For Closure

Sarah Smith — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:45:19 -0400

--Chad Love

Remember Pete, the orphaned and now-deceased Vermont moose at the heart of a debate over game farms? Apparently Pete's not the only thing that's gone.

From this story in The Boston Globe:

The northern Vermont game preserve where Pete the Moose lived and died is to close, state officials said yesterday, moving Vermont a step closer to ending the practice of allowing wildlife to be imported into the state and fenced in on private hunting grounds. Walt Driscoll, a member of the state Fish and Wildlife Board, said the owner of the Big Rack Ridge hunting preserve told him he planned to close the preserve in Irasburg.

The property has been in the spotlight because of an orphaned moose named Pete that lived there and gained a public following. Driscoll made his comments after a legislative committee approved rules that call for all the deer and moose on Doug Nelson’s preserve to be killed within the next three years to prevent the possible spread of chronic wasting disease. The fatal malady has struck herds of wildlife kept on hunting preserves elsewhere in the country.

Moostaken Identity: Eleventh Case of People Shooting Moose On Elk Licenses

Sarah Smith — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:11:52 -0400

--Chad Love

Hunters in Colorado seem to be having a hard time telling their elk from their moose.

From this story in The Denver Post:

In the aftermath of the state's 11th case of mistaken identity so far this hunting season, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is at its wits' end. "A lot of people are shooting moose on elk licenses," said CPW statewide information officer Randy Hampton. "It's happening too frequently and it's frustrating. People need to take some time and identify their target clearly. It's the first rule of hunter safety: Know what you're shooting at."

While the vast majority of the state's 300,000 annual big-game hunters go through the season without incident, more than a dozen didn't in 2010. And despite increased educational efforts, the potential remains for even more moose to suffer from a similar lack of scruples this year. The latest incident occurred Oct. 22 near Silverthorne, where hikers reported an encounter with a hunter who told them he had shot a bull moose by mistake.

Come on, guys, don't they teach this stuff in hunter safety? It's very simple: Do not shoot large ungulates with palmated antlers and airborne rodent sidekicks. Geez...

Vermont's Pete the Moose Dies, Game Park Owner Admits to Cover-up

Online Editors — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:06:18 -0400

--Chad Love

Vermonters and moose lovers everywhere are mourning the passing of Pete, the orphaned moose whose plight captured the attention of...people who pay attention to such things. Pete's death was bad enough, but it appears that Pete's been dead for quite some time and the animal everyone thought was Pete was in fact a Pete proxy. Confused? Read on...

From this story on abcnews.com:

The owner of the game park where Pete the Moose lived has taken responsibility for covering up the death of Vermont's favorite animal, the state's fish and wildlife commissioner said Saturday. Pete, whose life in captivity helped prompt the state to pass new wildlife laws and who received a gubernatorial pardon last winter, died in early September at the Big Rack Ridge in Irasburg while being tranquilized during hoof trimming. But state officials insisted he was alive until Friday, even issuing a photo taken Thursday of a moose it identified as Pete. The moose in the picture turned out to be a different animal, prompting Pete's Facebook fans to start accusing the state of a cover-up. But Commissioner Patrick Berry said park owner Doug Nelson has since admitted that he delayed telling state officials about Pete's death.

Pete, who was adopted as a calf after dogs attacked his mother and a sibling, rose to fame in 2009, when state officials said they didn't want native wild animals mixing with the elk at the game preserve, out of fear that chronic wasting disease could spread to the native animals. Animals other than elk on the preserve were ordered hunted and killed, but after a public outcry, lawmakers crafted a compromise. In it, the animals at the Big Rack Ridge preserve were designated a "special purpose herd," oversight of which was transferred from Fish and Wildlife to the state Agency of Agriculture. That meant that preserve owner Doug Nelson owned the animals. But lawmakers reversed themselves earlier this year, saying wild animals in the state can't be privately owned and are legally a public trust, owned by all Vermonters. Under that legislation, the native deer were ordered removed within three years, but Pete was allowed to stay.

Goodbye and Godspeed to that big muskeg in the sky, Pete. We hardly knew ye...

Heroes of Conservation Winner Announced!

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:58:38 -0400

At a time when the U.S. government is being asked to do more with less, conservationists all over the country are doing more without waiting to be asked. These efforts were recognized at the sixth annual Heroes of Conservation awards gala, sponsored by Field & Stream and Toyota. "It's a critical time, budgets are tight, and it is possible that essential projects to restore and protect America's wildlife and lands will be shelved due to lack of funds," F&S Editor Anthony Licata said at the Washington, D.C. event. "But there is hope. We are humbled by and incredibly grateful to people like our heroes, who are willing to work even when there isn't a budget."

David Ramsey of Unicoi, Tenn., was named Field & Stream's Conservation Hero of the Year for his extraordinary effort in securing the 10,000-acre Rocky Fork Watershed for public use as a wildlife management area. "I am completely overwhelmed by this award and this event," said Ramsey.

Ramsey spent 15 years brokering relationships between sportsmen’s groups, government officials, and conservation organizations to permanently protect the Tennessee watershed for public use. A sporting-goods store manager and wildlife photographer, he used his photographs of the pristine mountain land in presentations about its heritage in an effort to grip listeners. With the help of the Conservation Fund, Ramsey’s efforts finally paid off. The land was purchased away from developers, and people are using it the same way they always have.

The ceremony honored seven finalists for their efforts to salvage river and forest ecosystems, educate local youth, and manage natural resources that impact game.

Secretary of the U.S. Interior Ken Salazar was a surprise guest at the gala, taking the podium to point out that volunteerism is the backbone of conservation in the outdoors.

Dan Ashe, the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was a speaker at the event, thanking the finalists for their extraordinary contributions to their communities. He also lauded the Hero for a Day volunteer program, which took place in six locations across the country this spring.

The awards were hosted by chart-topping country music singer Craig Morgan, who also hosts All Access Outdoors on Outdoor Channel. “The conservation work of these heroes paints all outdoorsmen in a positive light,” he says. “People don’t realize the environmental impact hunters and fishermen have, not to mention the financial impact. It’s important that we as conservationists continue to get involved and educate the community on what we bring to the table.” Morgan is involved with the National Wild Turkey Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the Whitetail Institute. He ended the night with an acoustic set of hits and a preview of his yet-to-be-released new album, including the single "This Ole Boy."

Each Hero of the Year finalist received a check for $5,000 to contribute to their projects, and Ramsey was also awarded the grand prize: a new Toyota Tundra.

Video, Interview: Mountain Biker Clobbered by Charging Antelope

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:31:20 -0400

by Dave Maccar

Charging wildlife isn’t the first thing on a mountain biker’s mind in the heat of a race, but the animals don’t know that.

Evan van der Spuy was racing in the 38 km Time Freight MTB Express mountain bike race at Albert Falls Dam, 20km outside the city of Pietermaritzburg in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa for Team Jeep South Africa over the weekend.

His teammate, Travis Walker, was in third place with a GoPro camera mounted on his bike, and captured this amazing footage below of Evan, who was in second place until this red hartebeest (a member of the antelope family) had something to say about it.

Yes, the hit was as hard as it looks. Evan was stabilized with a neck brace and taken to the hospital for overnight observation. He sustained a minor concussion, whiplash and some bruising on his head where his helmet imploded on impact.

F&S spoke to Evan today to get his take on the events behind this video, which is rapidly going viral.

Evan said he is recovering well, and feels extremely lucky.

“Luckily I walked away with just a bit of whiplash and a concussion, considering what happened,” he says. “I saw the animal moving to cross the road in front of me, but when I saw how close it really was, I was shocked. Then, from the moment it hit me I was unconscious. I actually don’t know what happened from then.”

The first thing Evan says he remembers is the ambulance ride to the hospital.

“I know my teammate helped me to the ambulance, but I don’t recall any of that.”

After he began to recover, he was amazed to see his accident captured by his teammate’s GoPro.

“I was shocked. I was just shell-shocked. A few people had told me what had happened, but I never knew how big it really was. I hadn’t realized how hard I had really been hit and how lucky I really was to just walk away with the injuries I have,” Evan says.

When he saw the state of his helmet after the accident, he felt even luckier.

“My brother actually had a good look at the helmet afterward. The helmet was virtually in half. There were just a few strands holding it together, so the photos don’t actually do it justice. I’m really lucky.”

“I’ve never been close to being hit by an animal at all. Maybe a monkey or something, but nothing as big. You’re always aware of the animals around you. You always watch for anything out of the normal when you’re racing, but this is a freak accident that will never happen again.”

Evan is healing up and hopes to be back on his bike in the next couple of weeks.

In case you were wondering, the animal was totally fine after the collision. It got up and trotted off. According to Max Cluer of Sports Marketing, the event organizer, the animal is part of a small herd of red hartebeest that reside at the Albert Falls Resort and Game Reserve.

A big thanks to Max Cluer of Sports Marketing and Team Jeep South Africa for providing the footage and to Evan van der Spuy for talking to us through a concussion haze. And, of course, to GoPro South Africa, without which we all would not have this awesome clip.